In 1865, two British engineers, Richard Riley and William Hargreaves, seized the opportunities that were opening in the east and started Riley, Hargreaves and Company Limited in Singapore. The company of shipwrights was originally located on Boat Quay and specialised in the building of bridges and steamers. In 1875, two former employees of the company, Samuel Erskine and J Howarth, founded the engineering firm of Howarth, Erskine and Company Limited, with their office on River Valley Road. Their specialty was in the design, construction and erection of iron, steel and composite buildings, various types of bridges and wharves, water towers, lighthouses, and ornamental cast and wrought ironwork. In 1912, both these companies consolidated their strengths and merged to form United Engineers Limited (UE). This present River Valley Road site of the UE headquarters was probably chosen for its strategic location by the river and close proximity to the original offices of the two parent companies.
It was here that the seeds were sown for the design and construction of several prominent landmarks in Singapore, including the Supreme Court, Cavanagh Bridge and the Singapore Swimming Club, All of which were undertaken by UE.
During the Japanese occupation, the UE headquarters were commandeered and converted into a factory producing leather military accessories such as belts, bullet pouches, bags and bayonet holders. When, in 1949, as part of post-war reconstruction, UE sought to modernise its then existing properties on the site bounded by River Valley Road, Mohamed Sultan Road, Robertson Quay and Clemenceau Avenue, and reached a mutually-satisfactory agreement with the municipal authorities. The latter granted to UE two parcels of land off Merbau Road and Teck Guan Street which were adjacent to premises belonging to UE. In return, the company agreed to “provide free of cost land for a new 40feet wide (exclusive of 7ft. pavement).. properly metalled and drained as required by the commissioners..for use as a public street.” Thus was born the existing Unity Street, now part of a lively entertainment hub.
Throughout the year. The UE site has housed those who have been instrumental in designing, laying the foundations and constructing many of the physical structures you see all over Singapore. While the present modern e-connected complex seems a far cry from the office-cum-workshop properties, the pulse of UE continues to beat from its headquarters here and is just as integral a part of the changing face of Singapore now as it was then.